houhua in Japan·Oct 19I Saw Hirosaki Castle in 2024 — While the Entire Tower Was 78 Meters From HomeThe 1810 castle tower was moved intact for a massive stone-wall restoration. Now, in 2026, it is slowly being moved back.
houhua in Japan·Oct 18Crossing Japan’s Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge During a Three-Year RestorationIn August 2024, I happened to visit during one of the periods when Japan’s longest triple-arch wooden bridge was open between major…
houhua in Japan·Oct 17A Former Cider Factory Became an Art Museum in Northern JapanHirosaki’s century-old brick warehouse has been a sake brewery, a cider factory, a rice storehouse — and now a museum of contemporary art.
houhua in Japan·Oct 15I Missed Hirosaki’s Neputa Festival — But the Festival Was Still EverywhereA few days after the August parade ended, Hirosaki was still full of warrior faces, goldfish lanterns and traces of a 300-year-old…
houhua in Japan·Oct 7Before This Small Railway in Northern Japan Goes QuietI rode Aomori’s glowing Goldfish Neputa Train in 2024. The Ōwani Line is now scheduled to suspend service in 2028.
Hiromi Nakano·Sep 3Planning a Summer Trip to Japan? Don’t Miss Aomori!Are you planning a trip to Japan next summer? If you’re looking for a hidden gem where you can…
InA Different Side of JapanbyDonny Kimball·Aug 19The Tanesashi Coast HikePart of the Michinoku Coastal Trail
Fukami Yonaga（深水 夜名河）·Aug 15Folk Studies Fragment — Michinoku Afar: The Landscape of the Shimokita PeninsulaThe northernmost tip of Honshu, the Shimokita Peninsula — also called the “Masakari (Hatchet) Peninsula” for its shape — is a place with…
KOKU-U·May 5Frozen Red to Refreshed HeartWhen I think of apples in Japan, I think of Aomori (青森県). Aomori Prefecture produces about 60% of the Japanese apples, and Hirosaki City…
japanese Sake&Onsenn&Ryokan&Shrines·Jan 18Beyond the Camera Lens: Finding Soul-Deep Serenity in Oirase’s Frozen FlowAt the end of last year, I returned to my roots in Aomori. While most travelers flock to Japan’s big cities, I headed north to find peace…
